Article transfer for bakery conveyer system



- May 26, 1953 J. ATWOOD 2,639,800

ARTICLE TRANSFER FOR BAKERY CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed April 27, 1950 v4 Sheets-Sheet .1

James L. Atwood INVENTOR.

M y 26, 1953 J. L. A woop 2,639,800

ARTICLE TRANSFER FOR BAKERY CONVEYER SYSTEM v Filed April 27, 1950 4 Shets-Shee t 2 Fig. 3

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Y Q v O James 'L. Atwood mmvron WWFM;

May 26, 1953 J. ..A.1'wooo 2,639,300

ARTICLE TRANSFER FOR BAKERY CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed April 27, 1950 Y 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 James L. A/wood nvmvrox.

y 6, 1953 J. L. ATWOOD- 2,639,800

ARTICLE TRANSFER FOR BAKERY CONVEYER SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 27, 1950 Fig. /0 l4 Jams L. Atwood INVENTOR.

BY M? Patented May 26, 1953 ARTICLE TRANSFER FOR BAKERY CONVEYER SYSTEM James L. Atwood, Nashville, Tenn.

Application April 27, 1950, Serial No. 158,435

Claims.

This invention appertains to a material or article handling apparatus and'particularly relates to conveying systems for mechanically moving materials or articles.

The primary object of the instant invention is to transfer articles from a horizontal upper conveyor to a vertically spaced horizontal lower conveyor.

More specifically, an object of this invention is to transfer articles from a horizontal upper conveyor to a lower horizontal conveyor, which is transversely disposed relative to the upper conveyor.

Another important object of this invention is to provide means for transferring articles from. a main conveyor to underlying branch conveyors.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rectangular conveying system and to provide transferring means for switching or transferring articles from one side of the conveying system to another side.

Another important object of this invention resides in the reduction of time and labor required in transporting articles from one station to another and in the provision of a conveying system that can be constructed and utilized in a small space.

A meritorious feature of this invention resides in the provision of an upper conveyor, including a pair of spaced rotary parallel sections, and a lower conveyor vertically spaced therefrom. and disposed at right angles to the upper conveyor, automatic means being provided for spreading the sections of the upper conveyor to permit the articles carried thereon to gravitate onto the lower conveyor, I

Another meritorious feature of this invention resides in the provision of pneumatic operating means for operating a mechanical means to spread the sections of the upper conveyor apart and in the provision of means actuated by the articles moving on the upper conveyor for operating said pneumatic operating means.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, with parts of the apparatus illustrated in elevation;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, illustrating the sections of the upper conveyor in an open position;

Figure 4 is a view in erspective of the supporting member for the sections of the upper conveyor;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the journal end of the support for the sections of the upper conveyor;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 'l---! of Figure 6-;

Figure 8 is an enlarged view showing the pneumatic actuation mechanism with parts thereof shown in section for greater clarity;

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view as taken along line 9--9 in Figure 8; and

Figure 10 is a top plan view showing the device in an opened position.

While the conveying system, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described, may be advantageously employed for conveying any type of materials or articles, it has been especially designed for use in bakeries. Conventionally, pans or sheets, which are loaded with dough, are moved by endless conveyors through tunnel ovens. Heretofore, a long straight tunnel oven had to be provided and the sheets were manually lifted from the loading 'machine to a conveyor moving through the tunnel oven. After the sheets were carried through the tunnel oven and the dough thereon was baked, it was again necessary to manually move the sheets or pans from the oven conveyor to another conveyor.

The primary aim and purpose of the instant invention is to avoid any manual handling of the sheets or pans and to'reduce the amount of space needed to a minimum, so that tunnel ovens may be used in small rooms. Thus a rectangular conveying system is provided and transferring means is provided, whereby the sheets or pans may be automatically transferred from one side of the conveyor system to the other. Thus, the sheets can be automatically conveyed from a starting station at one side of the conveying system. to

an oven overlying one or more sides of the conveying system and back to the starting station, after passing under an unloading station.

The essence of the invention resides in the transferring means for switching the sheets or pans from an upper horizontal conveyor to a lower transversely disposed horizontal conveyor. The transferring is carried out, without any damage'whatsoever to the sheets or pans, which are relatively fragile, and without jarring the dough carried by the sheets the latter functionand 24 are entrained over sprockets :mountedon the shaft, the chains being movable in parallel;

channel-shaped tracks 26. The chains 22 and 24 form the main portion of an upper-conveyor 28;

with an independent auxiliaryendsection.30.

complementing the main section to form a continuous upper conveyor. The auxiliaryiseetion 30 forms the transferring means to permit the sheetsbrpans 32' (or similar-articles: ormaterials) to-drop downwardly onto a, lower-trans verse conveyor 34.

The end section 30 of the,-upper-conveyor=includes; a: pairof: complementary transverselyspaced parallel sections 36 and;38, which are alignable with the rotary chains 22,-. and. 24; as seen in Figure 1, and-Which are movable:- apart into the position, as illustratedin Figures 3- and 10. Upon movementto. such latter position it can:- be seen thatthe sheets received from-the main section of theupper conveyorand carried by the auxiliaryendsectionwill drop down onto the conveyor tdto; becarried thereby'inapath of movement at right-angles to-th.e ,,mo-vement,

of the upper conveyor.

Both of the sections.- 3fi1and 33-.of therauxiliary end section of the upper conveyor include supporting members w-and 42,- one of which isillustratedin detail in-Figurei. As seen therein, the supporting member 4t issubstantially. U-FShaped and-includes a web section M-anddepending legs 45 and 48 which converge inwardlyrelative .to each other at their outer. free ends. The web section and the legs are formed from channelbars and are secured together by means; of -pulleysfiil and 52, the pulleys beingweldedto the ends ofv the Web sections .and to the legs- A transverse channel bar 54: is welded to the legs and apertured ears 56, and 58 project laterally therefrom, for a purpose to be described; The lower ends'of. the.- legs are formed witncut out portions 60 and 62 and the legs terminate inaperturedbearingears 64 and 66..

As seen in Figure 6,,angle irons 68' and Illare mounted transversely between the supporting standards it and bearing blocks 12 are carried thereby, the bearing blocks receiving shafts .14.

which. are secured to the-bearing ears 64 and 66 of the supporting members 42. and 40.. Thus, the

supporting members are pivotally mounted: on the supporting angleironsBB and IO-by means of the shafts 74 and are vertically swingable about the shafts and. the pivot. Endless chains or similar members. 15.. and 18 are rotatably disposed in the,

supporting members, the. chains extending through the openings 60. and. 62 in. each of the supporting members, the supporting members forming tracks fonthe chains.

Means is provided for rotating. the rotary.

chains'lfiv. and 18Hand. includes a pair of par,-

allel shafts 8i) and 82, which extendtransverselyt between the supporting members 4l1'and 42, the; shafts. being. journaledvin. bearin s mounted on. supporting bars. 85. and..81,;.whichare. secured to:

the standards [8. A prime mover 88 is provided and is preferably mounted on the supporting surface for the standards. The prime mover is connected by a belt drive 9| to the shaft 82 and pulleys 84 and 86 are secured on the two shafts, the pulleys being connected by a chain 89. Sprockets 90 are disposed on the shafts as seen in Figure 5 and are disposed through the openingsSWand'tZ in the legs of the supporting members or-tracks-for-engagement'with the rotary chains.

The lower conveyor 34 includes a pair of supporting. tracks--92-and 94 on which rotary chains semesters positioned for endless rotary movement, the chains being driven by sprocket wheels carried by transverse shafts Hit which is journa1ed,,.in a supporting frame N12 for the chains and tracks. A pulley m4 is fixed on the extending. end. of the shaft and a belt IE6 is driven by the shaft 82, the belt being disposed on the pulley 64 an-don-a pulley IQS- fixed on, the--shaft-82. Idler pulleys 1 18.; areprovided, as seen in Figures 1 and, 3.

Means is provided for spreadingsthe supporting members apart, sothat articles conveyed by the -chains. lE .and-'l8 -.=may be droppedonto the lower conveyor 35.. Themeans includesasmall pneumatic cylinder I !2, which is suspended by a, bracket 2 Idfrom the. track 32 and whichisprovided. with a; pistonworkably mounted. thereinand having acustomarypistonrod H6. The-piss ton rod terminates in, a.- clevis endllfi'which. is pivotally mounted by a pivot pin I20 to the pro. jecting, flange of an; angle-iron, [2.2. The.) angle iron is bolted as at. lid-tothe transverse bar 54.. of one of the supporting..members.

A. bearing block. 2.61s carried by the lowersection-of the supporting ,track; 92 and a vertical, bar 528 is centrally-pivotedby a.pin,i.3l.'l-thereto-. Links I32 and [Marc pivoted at their inner ends to the opposing terminals of the bar I28 andare pivotally. secured at their outer 'endsbetween the ears and. a cross bar of-eachof the supportingnembers. Thus, as, the piston is forced outwardly in-the cylinderby pneumatic pressureadmitted to theycylinder by a pneumatic line- 536, the supporting member 46 is swung outwardly and; at. the: same time, theoutward swinging movement of the supporting member. lil-resultsin an outward. movement of the link.l32i to effect anoutward swinging movement to the bar I28 and the link E34, ofthe-companion supporting member 42. The supporting members are,- therefore; si-v multaneously spread apart by means of the pistons.

A spring E38 is secured at one endto a dependmg finger i tflwhichextendsto the lower section of the track. 92 and to afinger l 42 formed on the crossbar 54 of the supporting; member. The spring functions to normallyreta-intl ielsupport -v mg members inproper "transversely-spaced rela-v tlonshlp-and-to urge the supporting members to their normal positions; upon release of; pn s. matic pressure-controlling the outward stroke of .the pistonrod; To limit theinward-mo-vement of the supportingmem-ber-s relativeto-each'other, angular stop-pins 14 3- are: carried by, theiup per ends of the; supporting members.- andare adapted to contact or abut ,:the-.ver;tical flanges of. the, side bars i2 3 and. ldeoffthe framei0;

Switch. meansi is interposed in the; pneumatic: line I36 and controls the actuation of therpiston to the cylinder 1 1-2, the-switch means .being actuated-by .tnel ad edsefathe ooking-she ts -Qt s1m1lar articles, and thezaii 'ii lfisra id the chains I6 and I8 on the supporting members. Thus, as seen in Figure 10, the cooking sheets are moved on the chains 22 and 24 toward the end l6 of the frame ii). The sheets are continued in their movement by the chains 16 and '18 until the lead edge of the sheets contact a switch means I46, disposed at the end of the frame. Upon actuation of the switch means by the sheets, the piston rod is moved outwardly in the cylinder and the supporting members or tracks are spread apart to permit the sheets to drop downwardly onto the lower conveyor 34. It is to be noted that the sheets are moved by the upper conveyor by the auxiliary end section thereof in a path of movement transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sheets, so that when the sheets drop downwardly onto the lower conveyor and are moved outwardly from the frame In thereby, the sheets move parallel to their longitudinal axes.

The switch means M6 includes a housing I48 carried by the end bar it and interposed in the line I36, the line communicating the cylinder with a conventional pump. A valve block 150 is slidably mounted in the housing and a spring I52 is positioned between one end of the housing and the inner end of the block to normally urge the same outwardly. A transverse passage I54 is formed in the block and provides communication between the two sections of the line entering and leaving the housing. A plate I56 is pivotally journaled at its lower end between a pair of lateral ears I58, the ears projecting from the lower end of the housing and the plate is pivotally secured to the outer terminal of the stem (60 associated with the block I50 and slidably disposed through the inner end of the housing. A stud I62 projects outwardly from the inner face of the plate I56 and, as seen in Figure 8, the plate is contacted by the lead edge of the sheets 32 (or similar articles) to urge the block 156 inwardly, whereby the transverse passage I54 therein is communicated with the line to establish a communication between the pump and the cylinder.

Thus, it can be seen that the sheets or similar articles are automatically transferred from an upper conveyor to a lower conveyor, the lower conveyor being disposed at right angles to the upper conveyor. In actual use, it has been found that the automatic conveyors and transferring means provided herein reduces to a minimum the labor attendant with baking cookies or similar pastries in tunnel type ovens. Production costs are considerably lower and a considerable saving in time is realized. Because of the simplicity and compactness of the transferring means, no attendant is required and no expensive compli- 6 cated timing nor actuating mechanism is needed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a horizontal article conveyor having a discharge end, a horizontal cross conveyor spaced outwardly from said discharge end below the same, a transfer conveyor at said discharge end of the first named conveyor for receiving articles therefrom, said transfer conveyor comprising a pair of endless driven chains extending around said cross conveyor transversely thereof, and a pair of frames supporting said chains in laterally spaced parallel relation with upper transfer runs traversing the cross conveyor above the same, said frames being pivotally mounted for swinging apart longitudinally of said cross conveyor to correspondingly swing said upper runs for dumping articles therefrom on to the cross conveyor, and means for swinging said frames.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means includes a pneumatically operated piston for swinging one of said frames away from the other, and a toggle connecting said frames for swinging the other frame away from the first named frame by said swinging of said first named frame.

3. The combination according to claim 1, said frames swinging said upper runs into and out of coplanar relation and longitudinal alignment with respect to said first mentioned conveyor.

4. The combination according to claim 1, said frames being U-shaped and straddling said cross conveyor with channel webs traversing said cross conveyor above the same and guidingly supporting said upper runs.

5. The combination according to claim 1, said frames being pivotally mounted at one end of the first named conveyor and swingable toward each other to swing said upper runs toward each other into coplanar relation and longitudinal alignment with respect to said first named conveyor so that said upper runs form a continuation of said first named conveyor.

JAMES L. ATWOOD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,593,319 Tytus July 20, 1926 1,688,219 Williams Oct. 16, 1928 1,840,370 Ryan et al Jan. 12, 1932 1,951,178 Smitmans Mar. 13, 1934 2,273,689 Boron et a1. Feb. 17, 1942 2,315,003 Martin et a1 Mar. 30, 1943 

